PSMD – Chapter 150

Guo Ming’an’s situation continued to escalate, being reposted by more and more people. Yao Yao’s Weibo post was heading straight for thirty thousand reposts, although the related trending topic didn’t make it to the top.

But that didn’t matter; this was already enough to make him miserable.

Companies don’t care if you’re in a relationship or having casual sex, if you’re a good person or trash, as long as your work is up to par and you don’t drag the team down. However, this is based on the premise that you haven’t ruined the company’s reputation.

The internet is so developed now that it didn’t take long for this matter to reach Guo Ming’an’s superior. His superior was also swamped, first scolding him severely before thinking about how to explain it to the higher-ups.

Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang weren’t paying much attention to his progress now, because more and more dirt on Guo Ming’an was being dug up. If his company still wanted to maintain a good reputation, they wouldn’t choose to keep him.

On the third day of the holiday, Shen Ningruo called Shen Yuankai again. She wanted to ask him about the treatment, but Shen Yuankai said he hadn’t thought it through yet and quickly hung up.

Shen Ningruo: …

She really wanted to force Shen Yuankai to the hospital, but knowing him, it would definitely turn into a very ugly scene.

“Xiao Yang, have you thought about how you’re going to shoot?” Shen Ningruo simply shifted her attention and asked Qiu Yang, who was adjusting her camera settings nearby.

Qiu Yang shook her head: “Not yet.”

“The theme ‘Corners’ has many interpretations and ideas. I’m not sure which one is the most suitable yet.”

The two of them were sitting on the sofa. Hearing this, Shen Ningruo rubbed Qiu Yang’s head and said with a smile, “You’ll figure it out. Let’s go out and take some pictures later; maybe inspiration will suddenly strike.”

Qiu Yang nodded: “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too.”

The sun was less intense today, so they didn’t need umbrellas to go out. Also, Pingzi hadn’t been out in a while. As soon as Shen Ningruo unzipped the carrier bag, it crawled inside by itself, ready to go out.

Shen Ningruo hadn’t zipped it up yet. She took the opportunity to pat Pingzi’s head: “You, you’re so playful.”

“Other cats get so stressed going out, but you act like nothing’s wrong.”

Qiu Yang’s lips curved up. She looked at Pingzi, who was excited in the carrier bag, and added, “It feels like I’m raising a child, not a cat.”

Pingzi didn’t care about any of that; it just felt excited, so it meowed a couple of times.

Shen Ningruo smiled again, then zipped up the carrier bag and put it on her back: “Let’s go, time to head out.”

It was similar to their last outing. Qiu Yang was in charge of taking photos, while Shen Ningruo was in charge of carrying Pingzi and looking at the scenery. The only difference was that since Qiu Yang had moved, the scenery near the two neighborhoods was different; they couldn’t see the moat here.

“There’s a park nearby. Do you want to go check it out together?” Shen Ningruo suggested.

“Okay.”

Shen Ningruo asked with concern, “Have you got any ideas?”

“No, I’m thinking about whether to photograph the corners of the city, or the corners of human nature, or some corner I haven’t thought of yet.” Qiu Yang sighed, “Before, I took photos freely and never thought about setting themes for myself to ponder. Now it’s easy to get stuck.”

Pingzi looked curiously at the surrounding scenery, not interested in its two mothers’ conversation.

Shen Ningruo had never known much about these things and couldn’t offer any suggestions. She could only rub Qiu Yang’s head again: “There’s still time, Xiao Yang.”

Only ten days left until the registration deadline.

When Qiu Yang thought of that number, her brows furrowed slightly. The DSLR she was holding felt heavier, and her emotions tightened.

What she feared wasn’t failing the preliminary round, but not taking a suitable photo.

The park near the neighborhood had excellent greenery, with several pavilions for people to rest in.

Since it was still the holiday and the weather was nice, there were more people in the park than usual.

There were elderly people playing chess, children playing with tops and other toys, and some young people skateboarding in the flat areas.

These were all corners of the city.

Qiu Yang was seriously taking photos, while Shen Ningruo was being asked by one child after another what the cat on her back was called.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened. When they took the elevator together before, Qiu Yang had also been asked by people in the same neighborhood. But today, because they were out, more children asked, and Pingzi earned them quite a bit of attention.

Qiu Yang pressed the shutter again and again until she was a bit tired. Then she and Shen Ningruo sat down to rest in a pavilion.

She flipped through the photos she had taken, her lips pressed tightly together.

This was the first photography competition she had entered. She didn’t want to just go through the motions, but the consequence of being overly invested was that the photos she took weren’t what she wanted.

Shen Ningruo saw what Qiu Yang was thinking. She unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to Qiu Yang: “Xiao Yang, drink some water, relax a bit before thinking again.”

Qiu Yang put away her camera, said “Okay,” and tilted her head back to drink some water.

The air in the park carried a faint fragrance, but it wasn’t as strong as the scent in the cemetery, giving two different feelings. After drinking the water, Qiu Yang closed her eyes.

Someone else came to Shen Ningruo to ask about the cat. She didn’t open her eyes, just listened quietly.

“Hello, I’m from XX company. This little cat is so cute and not afraid of people. Could it take some photos with my artist? We’ll pay a fee.”

“Sorry, no.”

“Excuse me for bothering you.”

“But here’s my business card. If you’re interested, you can contact me later.”

“Okay.”

Qiu Yang’s eyes were closed, but she smelled the perfume on the man who had just left. Even after he was gone, some lingering scent remained in the air.

“If Tao Sixian were sitting here today, she would have agreed immediately, without hesitation,” Shen Ningruo said, entering mocking mode.

Qiu Yang’s eyelashes trembled: “Yes.”

She turned to look at Shen Ningruo, blinked, and then said, “About Tao Sixian, let me handle it.”

Shen Ningruo’s body tensed up instantly: “What?”

“I don’t have much going on lately anyway. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use the time for something useful?” Qiu Yang’s eyes curved into a smile, “Don’t worry, it’s very simple.”

Shen Ningruo shook her head: “No.”

“Why not?” Qiu Yang was a little confused.

“I don’t feel comfortable with you meeting her alone.”

“Okay.”

Pingzi meowed at this moment. Qiu Yang sighed softly, then stood up: “It’s about time. Let’s head back first.”

But before they reached the neighborhood entrance, someone called Qiu Yang. She stared at the word “Uncle” and froze for a moment.

Qiu Yang stopped walking. Qiu Zheng’s face appeared in her mind. After hesitating for two seconds, she decided to answer.

She didn’t rush to greet him. If Qiu Zheng was calling her, he must have something to say.

“Hello, Qiu Yang, it’s your uncle,” Qiu Zheng’s voice was a bit heavy.

Qiu Yang walked side-by-side with Shen Ningruo towards the neighborhood, her tone cold: “Yeah.”

“Do you know your mother is back?” Qiu Zheng asked.

“Yes.”

Qiu Zheng’s volume immediately rose by two notches: “So you’re letting her come back and settle scores with us?”

“Uncle, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Qiu Yang’s emotions were calm. She didn’t have many thoughts right now. “I haven’t reconnected with her. If she went back to find you, she’s looking for you, her brother, not me, her daughter.”

“What do you mean ‘letting her’?”

Qiu Zheng was angered: “You, you really are…”

“Going to say I’m ungrateful again? Auntie just called and scolded me a few days ago. Haven’t I heard enough of this over the years?”

“Let it go, Uncle.”

People were coming and going at the neighborhood entrance. It was evening, and some people were starting to walk their dogs.

Shen Ningruo listened quietly to Qiu Yang speak. She felt that Qiu Yang was very charming at moments like this. Her indifferent demeanor and light tone made Shen Ningruo feel an urge to hold her close.

Qiu Zheng coughed twice before continuing: “I never treated you badly.”

He even changed his address for Qiu Yang: “Yangyang.”

He said somewhat anxiously, “If you can, tell your mother to let it go, for the sake of us taking care of you for so many years.”

Qiu Yang was very patient: “From what you’re saying, she hasn’t come looking for you yet, right? But you’re feeling guilty, so you’re questioning me first without thinking. Uncle, why do you think I would help you? Do you think I didn’t get enough beatings back then?”

“I…”

“I have things to do, so I won’t talk anymore.”

Qiu Yang hung up the phone without hesitation. She exhaled, and her whole body quieted down.

Shen Ningruo held her hand and didn’t say anything.

They were back home five minutes later. They hadn’t done much, but they felt very tired.

Many scenes from her childhood flashed before Qiu Yang’s eyes, and she remembered Qiu Yan’s attitude towards her. Now her mind felt messy again.

She hadn’t expected Qiu Yan to go back and settle scores with Qiu Zheng’s family. What was the point of that?

She didn’t want to acknowledge her as a daughter, yet she was pretending to fulfill a mother’s duty. Wouldn’t that be a joke?

Shen Ningruo guessed what Qiu Yang was thinking. After letting Pingzi out, she let Qiu Yang be for a while before slowly walking over and sitting beside her.

“Xiao Yang…” Shen Ningruo rubbed her nose against Qiu Yang’s ear, “Don’t think about anything else for now, okay?”

Qiu Yang lifted her eyes: “Then what should I think about?”

Shen Ningruo cupped her face, looked into her eyes for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her lips.

They had been busy with all sorts of trivial things lately, and their physical intimacy had been less frequent than before. But they had only been together for just over a month; it shouldn’t be like this.

Shen Ningruo’s hand moved downwards, resting on Qiu Yang’s shoulder. She gradually deepened the kiss until their breaths mingled in a tangled mess.

Qiu Yang’s arms also wrapped directly around Shen Ningruo’s neck. Her emotions were relieved, and she was lost in the beautiful kiss.

It felt like it had been a while since they kissed like this.

Thinking of this, Qiu Yang felt she owed Shen Ningruo something, so she became even more serious, playing a game of tongue-tip chase with Shen Ningruo.

When the kiss ended, their foreheads rested against each other.

Shen Ningruo licked her lips: “You can think about sleeping with me tonight.”